The Comics Alternative is weekly podcast focusing on the world of alternative, independent, and primarily non-superhero comics. (There's nothing wrong with superhero comics. We just want to do something different.) New podcast episodes become available every Wednesday and include reviews of graphic novels and current ongoing series, discussions of upcoming comics, examinations of collected editions, in-depth analyses of a variety of comics texts, and spotlights on various creators and publishers. The Comics Alternative also produces "special feature" programs, such as shows specifically dedicated to creator interviews, webcomics, on-location events, and special non-weekly themes and topics.

This week the Two Guys give you a
double shot of recent Fantagraphics books. They start off with a
discussion of Ron Regé Jr.'s What Parsifal Saw, his followup to
2012's The Cartoon Utopia(the paperback
edition of which has also just been released by Fantagraphics).
This is the first time that Andy and Derek have covered one
of Regé's books on The Comics
Alternative -- they've discussed his comics
before, but only as part of an anthology -- and they point out
how his art requires a different way of reading. After
that, they look at the latest issue of Love and Rockets. The guys never
miss an opportunity to discuss what the Hernandez brothers are up
to, and in this second issue of the new series they see how
both Gilbert and Jaime are continuing the storylines they began in
the last couple of Love and Rockets: New Stories
annuals. Finally, the Two Guys wrap up with the latest title from
Donny Cates, Redneck #1 (Image Comics). With
wonderful art by Lisandro Estherren, this is a
contemporary vampire story set in East Texas (and not far from
Derek). Both feel that this is a successful first issue, but Andy
points out that the structure feels similar to what Cates
has been doing in God Country and The Paybacks.

About the Podcast

Two guys with PhDs talking about comics! The Comics Alternative is weekly podcast focusing on the world of alternative, independent, and primarily non-superhero comics. (There's nothing wrong with superhero comics. We just want to do something different.) New podcast episodes become available every Wednesday and include reviews of graphic novels and current ongoing series, discussions of upcoming comics, examinations of collected editions, in-depth analyses of a variety of comics texts, and spotlights on various creators and publishers. The Comics Alternative also produces "special feature" programs, such as shows specifically dedicated to creator interviews, webcomics, on-location events, and special non-weekly themes and topics.